How Hard It Is
by Nenifer121
Summary: Intricate plot based mainly on Sirius and the Maurauders in general. Lots of smut and fluff. Will have some slashy themes in it - so don't read if you don't like. Long and covers a few years starting 5th. Canon but bits changed to fit better! R
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note:** Thanks for giving this fic a chance and reading this far. Basically, I wanted to write a fic about the marauders and their love lives and i developed an idea that would encompass the last couple of years at Hogwarts, and the experiences they all had. The main focus is on Sirius Black, though there will be lots of the marauders in it. Smut and Fluff will be a big part of the fic, starting early on. Hence the M rating – it will be very graphic. Oh, and is extremely cannon – even to the dates of the full moons – one exception – Sirius is 15 when he runs away.

**Disclaimer:** If I was JK Rowling I wouldn't be writing on FanFiction; I'd be selling this and making millions. I own nothing. At all.

* * *

**How Hard It Is**

Chapter 1 – Thank You

Help. The one think that no one wants to admit needing, but usually the one thing that they need the most. That was true here, for the teenager that sat on the cold, hard pavement of a London street. He was a tall, dark haired, hansom boy in his middle teens, most of the boys his age would have been tucked up in bed, sound asleep. Not him. There was no way he was going back in that house. Not after what had happened.

What Sirius wanted, hell needed right now was help. It was gone two in the morning, on the third day of the summer holidays, and even then it was a cold night. He had walked out of his home with only the stuff that he could quickly pack back in his school trunk. He had no where to go, he started to panic as he sat there. He needed help. Unfortunately, thinking things through was not a great strength of this boy, as was getting stressed in a situation, and when that happened he couldn't think rationally. He had forgotten that he wasn't the same situation as every other boy his age. He was special; he was a wizard. Not that he could do any magic right now, not if he didn't want the Ministry after his blood too.

Picking up the end of his trunk he started off down the road, away from his parent house, away from the hell-whole that he had been forced to grow up in. As he walked the feeling of helplessness increased, and with it his anger. He was well known for having a short fuse when it came to his family. The street lamps around him flickered. _I need to calm down, _he though to himself, _or I'll have the ministry on my back too. _That was the down side of being an exceptionally powerful wizard when your emotions get the better of you. You do things. Things you don't mean to do. Still trying to calm down after what he had been through that night wasn't going to be easy, and he felt his anger peaking, as he thought of his family again. _Fuck my family, fuck the ministry, let them come. _And with that thought the lights around him blew in a spectacular show of sparks. The only light now came from the full moon.

The thought of the moon struck home and with it the solution of getting some help from his friends came to him. Remus would know what to do, he was good like that, but he couldn't go to him right now, it was his time of the month, a smile crept across his lips as he thought about the joke that he had made over four years ago. His thoughts turned to James, his other best friend. He marvelled that it had taken his so long to come up with the solution. James would be able to help him; he would know what to do. With his plan firmly set out in his head (at least for the night) he Black heir put out his wand hand and waited a moment for the customary bang that announced the arrival of the brilliantly purple, wizarding transport; the Knight Bus.

"Master Black, Sir. How good to see you looking so well, my regards to your family when you next see them. So where could we be taking you, Sir?" This was the flustered speech of the conductor of the Knight bus, a little old man that was positively terrified of the Black family. He had paled the instant he had seen the boy; one remembers one's manners when being spoken to by a Black. If you valued your life that was.

"Merlin Adam! Don't 'Sir' me. I'm not one of them, you can call me a prick if you really wanted to, I don't care. I'm a normal fifteen year old boy!"

"Sorry, Sir, but I learnt by experience not to cross your mother, back when I knew her."

"Yeah, well, that my mother, she always was a bit demented. So can I go to Godric's Hollow please?"

"No problem at all."

A few moments later the triple decked bus was hurtling down a county lane at an incredible speed. The second smile of the evening appeared on Sirius's lips. It was the road to the village his best friend lived. Next thing he knew he was practically thrown off his feet as the bus stopped. He dragged his trunk off the bus, a loud clunk echoing in the square in which his friend lived. He looked up at the houses surrounding him; if you could call them houses… they were huge. The people who loved here had money and lots of it too. Each one of the houses was detached, with large gardens to the front and rear. 

The biggest one of all looked incredibly well kept; the bushes cut, with not a leaf out of place. The whitewash walls kept perfectly clean. This was number seven. The Potter residence.

Having finally engaged his brain, Sirius realized that at quarter to three in the morning everyone would be asleep, he could hardly go and knock on the door; even the house elf would be asleep. Pausing for a moment he came up with the solution; The Mirror. Rummaging around in his rucksack the handsome boy pulled out a small square mirror and said clearly into it; "James Potter". Nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. _God damn that boy can sleep! _"James Potter, wake up you lazy git!" This time it worked and the boy woke up with a start. He had been dreaming about a girl with the most amazing green eyes. His groggy face appeared in the mirror, and Sirius couldn't help but laugh, he look a bit of a mess, must have been a late night for him too.

"Let me in mate!"

"Padfoot! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I need a place to crash for a bit. I'll explain later," replied the boy. He paused a moment as he expected the other teen to say something, but his mouth just hung open. "So," he said, "are you going to let me in or am I going to have to wait here all morning for someone else?"

* * *

A few minutes later the two boys were sat at the kitchen table, each with a bottle of Butterbeer in front of them, more for having something to do with their hands that wanting to drink anything. "So what happened then, mate?" asked the black haired boy, James.

"I just couldn't take it anymore, you know what they're like. It got too far… and I just had to go. I couldn't stay there. I can't call that place home, its not just where my parents live." Taking a sip of Butterbeer he continued. " I'll have to see if I can get my own place. I guess if I get a job over the summer I could rent a place, or work for a room at the Leaky Cauldron." With that he fell silent, thinking through his plans until he went back to Hogwarts.

The other boy was shocked. "You can't do that, Pads! You can stay with us! Mum and Dad won't mind at all. You spend ages over at the summer anyway, and you can just have the room that your in now. It's perfect, Pads! "

The taller boy shook his head. "I couldn't Prongs; I'd feel as though I was imposing on your parents. They do enough for me as it is. "

"Nonsense. They always say that you're the second son they never had. Your staying." he said in a final sort of way that put an end to the conversation. Not long after they agreed that it would be best for them both to go back to bed and wait until a reasonable time to ask Mr. and Mrs. about Sirius staying for the whole summer. James helped the boy drag his trunk up the stairs to the guest bedroom Sirius always took when he visited; it was adjacent to James's own, with its own en suit. The room looked the same as always; painted in neutral tones of cream and brown, with a thick soft carpet underfoot. The furniture was similar to that around the rest of the house, elegant and tasteful, let obviously expensive. The whole house radiated the fact that the family had money. But the Potters didn't flaunt it, it was just… there. The room was fitted with a king-size bed, a wardrobe, a chest of draws, two bedside cabinets, a dresser and a writing desk: everything that he would need, and more, as he looked over at the wash basket; the chances of him using that were quite slim.

As his best friend's snores drifted through the walls Sirius stripped down to his boxers and got into bed, relishing the feel of the sheets on his skin. He lay there for some time, trying to relax enough to sleep. Quite some time later he gave up; there was just o much going through his head right now. He sighed and gor back out of the bed and walked over to where he had dumped his trunk. Pulling out his clothes he set about hanging them up, so they wouldn't be too creased in the morning. As he did, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and did a double take, his stormy grey eyes raking over every inch of his body. No longer was he the skinny thirteen/fourteen year old boy; he had put on quite a bit of weight over the last year. _A little too much comfort food, _he decided as he pinched the fat on his stomach. _That needs to go._ He was one of the two most popular people at Hogwarts, a renowned Marauder; it was important to keep his body in trim. More so now that the he realized the girls seemed to think that he was a 'hot pick' at Hogwarts. He considered joining the Quidditch team to make sure that he kept in shape once he got back to school.

His stunning eyes slip upwards to his hair and he decided that he could do with something new and fashionable. The lank, dark brown locks that hung around his ears did nothing to compliment his aristocratic features.

* * *

Sirius looked up as the sun hit the parchment he had been writing on, it was morning already. Rereading what he had written he put down his quill, satisfied with his nights work; he had before him a list of things he wanted to do before he went back to Hogwarts. Stretching he padded his way to the bathroom and took a shower. He couldn't help but sigh contently as the hot water streamed over his aching shoulders, washing away some of the blood from the night before. As he stepped out and wrapped himself in a towel he felt like all the tension had been washed away too; he felt like a new person.

Deciding it was time to wake James so that he could get some breakfast, he had barely managed to put one foot out of the door before he heard a squeak coming from near his navel.

"Master Black! Bobble has set breakfast in the kitchen, when Master Black is ready to eat." The noise had of course come from the Potter's house elf, Bobble.

"Thanks Bobble, but you shouldn't bother on my account."

"Bobble lives to serve the Potters and any guest is to be made to feel like the family, Master Black. Is there anything that Bobble can get Sirius Black?"

"No, no, thank you."

With that the house elf bowed and vanished, just as Sirius shook his head; he'd never get used to an elf not being… well… Kreature-ish. A yawning sound came from the door way next to Sirius. He was about to greet his friend, but realized that he seemed incapable of coherent speech as he grunted "Food." Being quite used to his friends morning phases, he nodded and followed the boy down the hallway and the stairs back the cavernous kitchen, where there were lots of different breakfast items covering the table. And James's very surprised looking parents.

"Sirius, how lovely to see you. How long have you been here?" she said all this while giving him a hug that reminded him of how it might feel to be hugged by a mother.

"You can stay as long as you want to, Son" said Mr. Potter as he shook hands with the boy, answering the unspoken question in Sirius's mind.

"Thank you," was all he could say.

* * *

The two boys chatted most of the day through, both being too tired from the night before to do much that involved moving. James tried unceremoniously to get Sirius to tell him what had happened the night before, but everytime the subject got changed. The last time this happenend the topic of conversation was steered towards plans for tomorrow.

"I dunno mate, you have any ideas?" asked Sirius.

"Nope."

A knock at the door disrupted the conversation. "Sirius?" The dark haired boy quickly crossed the room and opened the door to Mrs. Potter. "Sorry to interrupt you too boys, but I forgot to ask at breakfast; Is there anything that you need Sirius? You didn't bring much with you went you left. So what do you need – and don't worry about it costing us money, you know perfectly well that it's not going to make a difference."

"Erm… Well maybe the next time you go out..."

"I was going to go to Diagon Ally tomorrow to pick up some new dress robes, and I could go into Muggle London after, if you needed anything? Different colour bedding maybe? We'll be needing some more if you're staying here; you might as well choose what you want."

The thought of Muggle London gave Sirius an idea. "Mrs. Potter," he said as sweetly as he could, "could we collect the robes for you? I would like to go to Muggle London; I've only ever been to the train station. My parents wouldn't even let me see the outside of the station."

"What a wonderful idea, and it will save my poor legs a trip," replied the old witch. "Although, I'm a little concerned that you haven't been before; you could very easily get lost. Could you perhaps ask Remus to come with you?"

The boys glanced at each other, both thinking the same thing; it was only the day after the full moon and it was unlikely that the sandy haired teen would be in any condition to go shopping for a day. "We'll ask and see if he can come. He did tell us that he would be pretty busy the first few weeks of the holiday," replied James, the lie coming smoothly off his lips. It was second nature to both boys to lie convincingly when it came to Remus.

"That is good enough for me. Now you'll have to go to Gringotts first. James," she looked over at her son. "You will have to go into the family vault to get some money for you both, and then you'll have to speak to a goblin to get some Muggle money... Pounds, I think they are. Ask for one hundred and fifty. That should give you plenty enough for anything you need, Sirius. "

Both boys' mouths dropped open that was a lot of money. Mrs Potter quickly added that Sirius was to keep the change, or spend it on himself, as she had no use for Muggle money. "Enjoy yourselves boys."

"Thank you and we will," came the chorus of response.

* * *

**Authors note.** Well, this is the beginning. It may not seem like much yet, but it will have lots off smut and fluff in it as they arrive back at Hogwarts... maybe earlier if you drop a review asking for some.

I'd be grateful if you'd review – I'm very conscious that I'm not the best of writers and I always look for where Ican improve – so if you like it tell me, if you don't please tell me why! I'll reply either on the end f the chapters or privately. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note:** I realised that I made a couple of mistakes in the last chapter. Sirius and James are not supposed to refer to each other as Padfoot and Prongs! This is dedicated to MISS HEATHER, for being the very first person to review this story. Thanks.

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Chapter 2 – Muggle Style

"_Mmm… Merlin that feels great babe." He murmured, as the blonde's warm mouth captured Sirius's throbbing member, her tongue flicking over the ridge underneath. "Oh yes, fuck baby, YES." She paused and looked up at her lover, withering underneath her. _

"_Do you want me?" she asked. "Do you want to fuck me? To push your cock deep inside me and hear me moan as you pound me as hard as you can? Do you want that baby?" Her voice was low and husky as she inched her way back up to Sirius's lips. He barely nodded when she bit on his lips, extracting a moan from deep down inside him._

_She moved and knelt on the edge of the bed, indicating for him to take a position behind her, to enter her from the rear. He could hardly breathe with anticipation, as he moved and put a hand on her back and bent her over, exposing her pert bottom in all its glory. One hand on her hip, he felt his way to her entrance and got ready to gain entry to her._

"_Please, Sirius, I beg you. Fuck me now!" with that he put the tip of his engorged flesh to her and –_

"Sirius, wake up... Oi! Siri' were going out to London today!"

_God damn it, it was dream. A fucking good one, but a dream none the less. _His eyes snapped open to see his best friend peering over at him from the end of the bed. He groaned; _it's a damn good job I sleep on my side,_ he thought as his arousal would have been apparent if he had been on his back. Hell, he'd have made a six man tent from the bed sheet! Instead of muttering something rude at his friend for disturbing him, shook his head and uttered a greeting.

"So, we promised my mum we'd go and ask Remus if he can join us, so shall we head there first?" asked the black haired boy; he looked so excited about going to Muggle London.

"Yeah, alright, just let me have a shower and get dressed… James, that means you leave, and quit bouncing on my bed." James had jumped on his bed in an effort to make his friend move quicker, bedding screwing up at his feet, threatening to show off Sirius's 'problem'.

"I'm up!" said Sirius quickly sitting up and pushing James off the bed.

* * *

Remus's house was set in the countryside next to a small forest. The house itself was in contrast with James's home; it had a careless feel to it. The windows had paint peeling off, and there was damp up some of the outer walls, yet it still had a homely feel. Knowing that Remus was not likely to be up and about the boys thought that it would be best to floo to the kitchen and see if he was in any condition to see his friends.

"James! Sirius! How lovely to see you both. How are you?" asked the witch sat at the kitchen table; Mrs. Lupin.

"Were okay thanks. We were wondering if Remus was in any condition to talk to?" asked James.

"I'm sorry boys but he had a rough moon, he's still asleep. I'll let him know that you popped by. Did you want him for anything in particular?"

"Actually yes," muttered Sirius. "Mrs. Potter wanted to ask if he could keep us company in London today because neither of us has."

"I see, well I really don't think that he'll be in any condition to come out today, but I can help you with your problem of getting lost. I have a Muggle map of London. It's bewitched to show you where you are. You can have it if you want."

"Thanks, and tell Moony… err… Remus to get better soon and to drop us an owl. I'm staying at James's all summer."

"I will do, now enjoy yourself boys." With that she gave them both a hug and handed them a pot full of Floo powder ready for them to leave. The flames turned green and they arrived back in the study they left from not long before. They wandered the house but couldn't find Mr. or Mrs. Potter so they left a note saying that Remus wasn't able to come out but his mum gave them a map so that they wouldn't get lost.

Not long later they had been to Gringotts to get some money (which was now in the pocket of a widely grinning teen) and had stepped on to the Muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron ready to explore the delights of London. Sirius had decided that the first thing he wanted to do was get a haircut, he pulled out the map and thought about a barbers and suddenly a red dot appeared three streets away on Whitcome Street. The boys looked at each other clearly impressed with the magically map.

The map was right of course (being magical) and steered them to a small barbers not far from Pall Mall. Sitting down they were told that they would have to wait about ten minutes, to fill the time Sirius picked up one of the magazines and flicked through it, picking out the style he wanted. It was going to cover most of his ears, with a parting on the left hand side that allowed the hair to flow nicely to one side.

Finally, the two boys stepped out of the shop, one now sporting a very stylish haircut, the other not able to do anything with his other than running a hand through it to make it very messy, which he did, of course.

"So what do you want to do now?" asked James.

"No idea mate, you?"

"Actually, there was something that Lily mentioned once to her friends…"

"And she told you?"

"Well no – I overheard. Anyway its something called the cinema."

The other boy gave him a blank look.

"It's kind of like photographs, but it's a set story – you know… Moving pictures."

"Cool, shall we go then?"

No long later the magical map had directed them to a local cinema, and the boys chose the film that was showing as soon as possible. It was one they had never heard of, and suspected it had been out for a while. They looked at the tickets as they walked in.

"Monty Python? What kind of name is Monty Python?"

"I dunno, I guess he could be a descendant of Slytherin, you know, with the whole snaky name."

"Sirius! This is a Muggle Film," countered James.

"Yeah… well I bet its rubbish." He paused for a second and sniffed heavily. "What the hell is that?"

"What are you on about now?" asked the black haired boy, exasperatedly.

"That smell… The sweet one. It's coming from over there. Can we go? Please?" he whined at his best friend.

"I swear, Sirius, all you'd need is fur and you'd pass as a dog. Quit giving me the puppy dog eyes! We can go get whatever it is."

Of course, what the boys could smell was popcorn, something that having come from wizarding families they had never had before. The boys could hardly stop themselves from buying the biggest bag they'd be able to carry, but decided that they'd come back for some more if they wanted it, so they handed over the money to the plump lady in the striped shirt.

"She looked like the witch with the trolley on the Hogwarts Express. Just a pity she didn't have any Chocolate Frogs, said Sirius.

James was near the end of his tether. "This is MUGGLE London Sirius."

* * *

Moments later the boys were sat on the back row of the cinema, eyeing up two girls who were sat two rows in front. They couldn't decide which one was the better looking.

"The red head! Just look at her. She's gorgeous," said James.

"You would think so. You're besotted with Lily aren't you? Your favourite colour is emerald green, even though it's the snakes' colours. The blonde is the best looking mate. She's hot."

Suddenly the lights went out in the cinema and the film began. It would have been comical to watch the two boys as they sat eating pop corn hardly believing their eyes as the movie went on around them. An hour and a half later they bounded out of the cinema saying together at the top of their voice:

"We are the knights who say... NI!" and the two teenagers burst out laughing. "No, but seriously, you see what they were going to do to that witch!"

"Not that she was one of course. She'd have been able to use a flame freezing charm, and be fine," said James smartly.

"Oh shut up smart arse! It was only a... movie," replied Sirius. The other boy looked incredulous.

* * *

They two boys walked back through the Leaky Cauldron with their arms full, barley managing to keep hold of all their shopping. It turned out that one hundred pounds was a lot of Muggle money. Tom the innkeeper lent over the bar and asked if they needed a hand with all their bags.

"Please!" they gasped as they put them down on the floor. "We'd do it ourselves but we can't." Not a moment later all the bags had been shrunk down to fit in their pockets.

"Thanks," said James.

"You're welcome Mr Potter, Mr Black. Have a good afternoon now." With that the boys went back through to Diagon Alley to get an ice cream from their favourite parlour. There they saw a group of pretty girls in the year above them at Hogwarts. They seemed to be having a rather animated discussion and suddenly went quite as the boys went past them. Sirius managed to catch his name before they were silent, doubled over in giggles. He flashed them the aristocratic smile he was well known for and several of them blushed.

"What was going on then?" asked James when they were out of earshot.

"No idea, but I think were about to find out," he replied as two of the group walked over to them. They were both very good looking.

"Hi, we go to Hogwarts, I thought I recognised you. You're two who are always getting into trouble with McGonagall."

"Sirius Black, and James potter, at your service," responded Sirius, taking her hand and kissing it making the girl blush to the colour of her robes.

James rolled his eyes. "Don't take any notice of him, he's being a prat again. Which house are you in?"

"We are in Ravenclaw, six years. Anyway we have to go. It was nice meeting you both. Maybe we can go into Hogsmade some time?" With that they walked away with big smiles on their faces.

"Dude, did they just ask us out?"

"I dunno, but I won't be, I only want to date Evans." A short silence ensued where they boys were thinking. Suddenly Sirius piped up:

"Did you hear what McGonagall said we did? _Maraud _about. We called ourselves Marauders, but we really need to be famous throughout the school not just Gryffindor. We need to get bigger and better at our pranks."

The dark haired boy's eyes gleamed. "I like it," he said with a grin that said it all. "The whole of Hogwarts will know us by it!"

* * *

**Authours note:** Well I hope you like it, its been a long time in the making and I'm not all that impressed, I can do so much better. There has been the beginning of some smutt there! Yay! anyways, please drop me a review to help spur me on a bit. Otherwise I might get a bit disheartened.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:** Bet you didn't think I'd be updating this soon eh? As there weren't many of you who reviewed I thought I'd reply on here instead. So here we are:

_Minotaurina:_ Thanks, I'm glad that you liked the way I'm developing the characters. I thought really hard about how I would act if I were in Sirius's place and used that as my basis.

_-Sassy-Saz-_ Well here's the update! More smutt will be on its way, I swear! As to Slash... well it is in the making, but I'm not too sure about it yet. I suggest reading between the lines!

_Miss Heather:_ Well, they are the marauders; that's what they call themselves. They just haven't twigged that the whole school knows about them. That will certainly change this year. The whole school will fear the marauders! I just found it hard to believe that they were that big so young. It was but a dream. Bless him; he's never had that much attention. Though I may consider making a premonition or the girl that he dreams about... hmm... I shall have a think about that one! And you are welcome.

On to the next chapter!

* * *

How Hard It Is – Chapter 3 – Go, Go Gryffindor!

"It seems like you have a bit of a theme going here, Sirius, darling," as the woman looked through the shopping the boy had bought the day before.

The boy smiled at Mrs Potter. "Yes, I suppose I have. It's a contrast to what I had while I was back with my mum. She was still trying to get me in Snake's colours, up until a few days ago. I'm a Gryffindor through and through. That and I miss Hogwarts."

Mrs Potter whipped out her wand and suddenly there was a huge pot of red paint, some paint brushes and some smaller pots of paint in various colours. "Well, why don't you boys paint the room how you want it then? I could do it for you, but it gives you something to do today. The weather is awful outside."

"Thanks," beamed Sirius. With that he practically ran out of his room and bounded into his best friends. "James! James! We need to get Remus here if he's up to it!"

"Alright, alright mate, calm down we'll go and see if he's any better," the boy grumbled getting out of bed.

Not long later the two boys were standing in the Lupin house, covered head to toe in soot, looking round the room wondering if there was a clothes brush anywhere. The fireplace seemed to be coughing, billowing clouds of soot going everywhere. "Boys! How did the map work out for you?" The two stared at each other the voice was coming from nowhere in particular. "The stairs! Could you help an old lady out?"

The two dark haired boys ran out to the hallway to help Mrs Lupin with a pile of washing that was so large she could hardly see over the top of it. They each took a half and couldn't help but notice that some of them were Remus's. They were splattered in something that looked all too much like blood. James cleared his throat and asked how Remus was today.

"Much better in fact, he's up and about. No doubt in the study doing his homework. Have you come to whisk him away from under my feet?" she asked, her eyes glinting, telling the two that she felt he needed to get out of the house.

"If you think its okay, I'd like to steal him away for the day. We need his help." Mrs Lupin nodded her consent and waved her hand towards the stairs, indicating that they should go and get him. They walked into the study and were not surprised to see a sandy haired boy sat at the desk with a huge roll of parchment in front of him. He didn't even notice them come in.

"Moony!" The boys chorused. "You are to come with us for the day!" said James.

"And is there a reason for this abduction?" asked the boy, his voice sounded tired and strained.

"I need your help, Moony," replied Sirius with a pleading look. Something in the sandy haired boy's chest fluttered at the look he was given.

"How could I refuse you?" With that he stood up slowly wincing slightly at the pain in his side. The wolf really wasn't kind this month. "Ouch, just let me get my shoes and a coat."

"No need," grinned James, holding both out for the boy. "Two steps ahead of you today!" Remus was grateful, as it saved him from having to wander the house looking for some. They could also floo straight out the study. The less movement he had to make for the next day was good for him.

"So," he paused looking at James, "what is it he wants me for?" The other boy shrugged. "Ookay then, another of Sirius's whims then."

The floo journey back to the Potters was fairly uneventful, for James at least. He arrived first and waited by the fireplace in the kitchen for his two friends. He wasn't expecting them to turn up together. It seemed as though Sirius had insisted that Remus was supported through the journey and they arrived the smaller boy wrapped in his arms to make sure that he wasn't pushed into the sides of any fireplaces. Both boys looked at each other and flushed momentarily before letting go of each other. James barely managed to stifle a sniffer. _They have no idea, _thought the boy. He broke the silence which was threatening to become awkward and asked Sirius what he was up to, and why he needed both his friends help.

"We are decorating my room. Courtesy of Mrs Potter," explained the boy.

"That sounds good, but why would you need me?" asked Remus, slightly bemused. They taller boy knew that he wouldn't be much help in the condition he was in today.

Sirius's voiced was honeyed with flattery. "I need you superior brain power, Moony."

"You both want and need that everyday. But what for this time?"

"I was hoping that you'd help organise things for us. Maybe a bit of wand work."

"Organising I can help with, but not with the wand work. None of us can do it; we're all under age by over a year," replied Remus.

"Actually, Moony, Sirius is right you can do the magic. Underage wizardry can only be detected in Muggle areas. It's up to the parents of wizarding families to keep their children in check. So you can do magic here. It won't be detected," said James knowledgeably.

"Then, pray tell, why are you two not doing magic?"

"Well... Erm... If you must know. Mum and Dad thought that it'd be for the best if we didn't do magic if were together. I suppose I can see where they are coming from. So my dad asked on of his friends in Magical Law Enforcement to put a trace on us. Just a private one – apparently something lights up and makes a noise if we do anything."

Remus could barely control his laughter, if it wasn't for his side still being quite painful he would swear he would have been in stitches. "Alright then. What are we doing with it?"

"We're making it my own Gryffindor haven." Beamed Sirius. By now the boys had reached the room that they were going to deface. The three teens looked around the room taking in the room's tasteful decor and wondering where to start.

Twenty minutes later they were ready; all of the furniture was in the centre of the room, covered by a huge dust sheet. Sirius had finally decided what the wanted the room to look like and had set about drawing an enormous Gryffindor crest on the wall where the bed would be going against. James had taken the biggest brush that he could find and made a start smothering one of the remaining walls in red paint. This left Remus wondering what to do. He couldn't physically do much. He eventually decided (his part in the process now done) that he would do something unique for his best friend. This is why he could be found sat against the bed deep in concentration as he thought of the various spells that he could need.

All in all the day was a success. They barely stopped during lunch time to grab a sandwich off Bobble, who nearly had a heart attack when he saw the state that his masters' clothes were in. As could have been predicted by anyone who knew the two dark haired boys; they had a paint fight. Sirius managed to pin his friend down and write 'I LOVE EVANS' in bold black writing across the forehead. A few minutes later he had 'I LOVE THE GIANT SQUID' scrawled across his own face. Remus, of course had found this both childish and highly amusing so charmed the paint to become water proof for the day. Needless to say, they did get the work done. By the time Mr and Mrs Potter arrived home from work and had a good laugh at the sight of the two boys, the room had been transformed. The walls were painted. The Gryffindor lion on the wall looked spectacular, and all the new bedding was in place. It looked like the dormitory at Hogwarts – only better.

Mrs Potter insisted that Remus stayed for tea and just after finishing the most delicious apple and blackberry pie they pale boy slipped upstairs back to the room they had been decorating. He took a deep breath as he refreshed his memory and began to cast the intricate combination of spells that he had planned earlier that day. Several minutes later he left feeling satisfied with the days work.

* * *

It wasn't until later that night did Sirius find out what the other boy had been doing all day. As he blew out the candles on his desk he noticed that the ceiling had changed from white to black. Not thinking much of this he climbed into bed and looked up once more. There were stars on the ceiling. And a moon (which was just past being full). He fully appreciated the thoughtfulness of the gesture; he was named after two stars. Sirius the Dog Star and Orion the warrior. The moon he reasoned was a reminder of his best friend, and one he liked very much. Only Remus could have pulled off a gesture like this, only he could know how far Sirius could take being reminded of his origins, without being resentful towards them.

He realised just before drifting off into a deep sleep that the ceiling was like the one in the Great Hall. It reflected the night's sky. As a shooting star sailed right over him he muttered "Thanks, Remus."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well there we are. It wasn't exactly much to do with the plot, but I wanted to put it in anyway. And I guess if you choose to read it one way it has mild slashy fluff. But it doesn't have to be that way. Let me know what you think! xxx


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:** *smiles sheepishly* okay, so it's been a few months since I looked at this, but I have new found inspiration, I swear. I'm going to try and update every two weeks. I know it's a while but I have another story on the go, and I have Uni work and stuff. I'm dedicating at least an evening a week to write my fanfics  So, I hope you like the chapter, It is really starting some of the plot lines for this year. (OWL year). Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I wish everyday, but alas, no wishes came true.

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Frustrated**

Now that the room was painted and finished Sirius was feeling bored. It wasn't that there wasn't a lot to do around the Potter house, there was always something to do; he was restless. This was something that his friend picked up on quickly.

'Will you sit down, please, Siri?' asked the boy for the fifth time that evening.

'Sorry, James, I'm just a bit wound up at the moment.'

'Maybe you should go for a walk or something? It might calm you down a bit.' James was by now sick of watching his best friend wear a hole into the carpet in his bedroom.

The taller boy looked at the other and snorted. 'What am I a dog? I don't need 'walkies'.'

James held his hands up in defense. 'Okay, okay mate, I was just saying maybe you need to let off some steam. I'd ask dad if we could have our wands so we could duel… but I get the feeling he'll say no. Guess that's one thing I miss about school, just don't ever repeat that.'

Eventually, James managed to persuade his best friend that he needed to get out of the house and let of some steam. And so it became Sirius's evening ritual; he would spend half an hour each evening running around the little village then return back the house to jump in the pool and do a few lengths. He found it gave him some time to think and also tired him out so that he could sleep peacefully each night.

* * *

A couple a weeks into his routine, Sirius was in the pool relaxing while James read the evening Prophet. This was becoming a bit of a habit in its self; James (who maintained he had the perfect body) did not do any of the exercise his friend did, but resolved to keep him company all the same. So on most evenings they would be found discussing an article in the paper, or idly chatting.

'Listen to this! _The Prophet reports that the well known wizarding family, the Bartons, are still missing. All three members of the family, including Zoe Barton, due to start her third year at Hogwarts, have not been heard from for a few weeks. This is of course distressing news when coupled with the recent up rise in the amount of Dark Wizards reported lately. It is a well known fact that the Bartons are very anti-dark arts, both Mr and Mrs Barton being Aurors themselves, it has been rumored in the Ministry that they had been working on a secret mission to find the location of the 'Dark Lord,' and put a stop to the terror that has been on the edge of our horizons for some time now. Our best wishes go out to them and other members of their families, and we keep our fingers crossed over our quills that the mission is a success.'_

'Well it isn't a secret mission now is it? Idiots, they could have just been undercover or something.' Sirius rolled his eyes and swam back over to his friend.

'Siri, have you thought about what you want to do when you leave Hogwarts?'

'Not really, I mean, we've only just finished our fourth year! It's three years off mate.'

'I guess you're right, just all this talk of Dark Arts and stuff makes me nervous you know? And that I want to help. Maybe I could be an Auror when we leave.'

A grin passed over the other boy's face. 'Oh, my parents would love that wouldn't they? I wonder how many of my own family I could send to Azkaban.' With a look of total bliss he started ticking off names on his fingers. 'Bella for sure – though she is still in Hogwarts. And then that total prat that is up her arse... Damn it what's his name? Lestrange?'

James looked mildly shocked as he observed his friend. _He actually wants to put his family behind bars? Well then again, I can't say I blame him. _'Well, either way we've got to pass everything this year if we want to do that. Dad had to do loads of work in his NEWT years, and even then only just got in.'

'You sound like Moony!'

'Do not!'

'Do too!'

'Do not!'

'Do too!' finished Sirius with a smirk on his face. Satisfied that his best friends thoughts were diverted from the article he struck up a conversation about Quidditch, and casually slipped in that he was thinking of trying out for the team.

'You what? That's brilliant! No one would be able to beat us two together. What position do you want to play?'

A mischevious glint entered the stormy eyes of the boy. 'Beater.'

'There will be a spot open for that position too! Patterson said he wasn't going to be on the team this year because he wants to use his time studying for his NEWTs. This will be so cool. You Beating and me Chasing – the cup will be ours for our last few years!' He boy prattled on about how they would make a great team and Sirius dutifully indulged his friend for a while. He was still talking about it when they headed to bed.

* * *

_Dear Sirius and James,_

_Trusting this finds you well, I regret to tell you that I will not be in England for much of the remaining summer. My Mother has received word about a potion being developed to help werewolves after the transformation. She is insisting that we go and find out more, so I shall be in France until after this full moon at least, much to my annoyance._

_The book lists should arrive early August so hopefully I'll be able to meet you in Diagon Alley. Heaven knows I could do with some time out!_

_I'll write as often as I can, and I'll send word about the potion when I find out more, though I'm not hopeful. What is going to help other than spells after a full moon? You can reach me by owl if you need me._

_Moony_

The boys looked up from the letter and sighed in unison. Remus' mum has been trying for years to find a cure for lycanthropy but every summer she comes back empty handed. Remus had seemingly given up hope. 'We really need to crack on with the Transformations, you know. That would help Moony if nothing else does, I'm sure of it.' Sirius was always passionate about helping Remus and they had been trying for over a year to master the various spells and potions that were needed to perform the first animagus transformation. Unfortunately, they were not getting anywhere.

'Shall we look over the books then?' asked James, realising that his friend wouldn't settle to do anything other while his mind was on Remus in pain.

'Yeah…' said the dark haired boy, distracted.

Not long later they were sat on the huge bed in the centre of Sirius' room, with books scattered all over the place. Closest to Sirius was a lunar calendar, telling him that his best friend would be tearing himself apart in less than a week and a half. His brow furrowing, he looked at James. 'Don't tell Moony I asked this, he'll roll his eyes. But you know the moon can be full at any time of the day? Like the next one is full at five twenty nine in the morning… why doesn't he transform during the day?'

'You know, I'm not actually sure,' replied James, slowly. 'I think I remember reading somewhere that the sun had to be set before the transformation can take place. So even though it's in the morning, the sun would be rising so it'd be night after that the werewolf transforms.'

'Wouldn't that mean that, in Australia say, they transform a whole day later?' Sirius was utterly confused now.

'I don't know, maybe you should ask Remus, I would hope he knows.'

'I would be you know how he gets about his transformations. We haven't told him about trying to become Animagi for that exact reason. He'll have a hissy fit!' said Sirius exasperatedly.

'Well we aren't getting anywhere are we? We've studied the spells that we need to perform, and the three potions that we need to brew, but we aren't getting anywhere. This first potion is so complicated! It takes two months to brew too. How the hell are we going to hide it? All to get in a trance state too. Could we not just get stoned?'

'Wait a second. You say it takes two months to brew? What are the last week's steps?' asked Sirius, his eyes showing the thought pattern in his head… It was still middle July… Term starts September. That's a month and half.

'It says here that it needs to have a bit of each of us in it. So it has to be separated before that, I guess. It needs to rest for a week, then heated and stirred twice…. Nothing too bad, it's I the beginning that the timing needs to be spot on. To the hour. We'll never get chance to make this when we get back to Hogwarts.' Sirius rolled his eyes; James was clearly having a slow day, he waited for a full minute until his friend cottoned on to the plan he had formed.

'So, how much do I need to get my Dad to get from Diagon Alley?' The boys looked down at the ingredients of the potion and sighed. There was a lot that they wouldn't be able to buy themselves. They spend the rest of the afternoon writing a list of everything they would need and a few other random things to throw the shop keeper (and James' father) off the trial, incase they worked out what the boys were up to.

* * *

'Dad?' asked James, trying his best to look innocent. 'I was looking at my homework for potions and I need some ingredients to be able to make them, I haven't got them all. Do you think you could get them for me when you go to work tomorrow?'

'Of course Son, no problem; just leave the list on the side.' The old wizard glanced over at the other teen who was shuffling his feet looking uncomfortable. 'Do you need something too, Sirius?'

'Well, Mr Potter, I really didn't want to ask,' his grey eyes widening in an innocent expression. 'But you see Slughorn gave me some extra work to do this summer – some harder potions but the ingredients are a bit expensive and I can't get one or two of them without an adult –' He stopped as Mrs Potter held up a hand.

'Sirius, my love, how many times do we have to tell you. You are a son to us. If there is something you need and we can get it, you will have it. Just leave the list on the side with James'.

* * *

James was rubbing his arm where Sirius had hit him. 'Don't you ever do that again! You know how guilty I feel about asking for things off your parents!'

'But they wouldn't have believed me. Doing advanced potions? Come off it Siri, you sit next to me in class. And then they would have looked at the list a bit too much. It had to be you.' The bespectacled boy looked at his friend, trying to give him puppy dog eyes and was unsuccessful as they made the other boy burst out laughing.

* * *

**Authors note (again):** I know I don't deserve any but I'd appreciate your comments on the story. The good and the bad, I will reply to each and every review, and I'm always happy to have suggestions. Your help might well be needed when they get back to Hogwarts – the Marauders need to become Infamous!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **All that you recognise does not belong to be, but to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. I do not make any money from this venture, and only play with these wonderful creations in my spare time.

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Potions!**

'Are you sure they can't make anything dangerous, dear?' asked the tired looking witch as she put down a steaming cup of coffee in front of her husband. The two boys had bounded down the stairs to meet Mr Potter as soon as he stepped out if the fireplace asking if he had managed to buy the ingredients they needed. The old couple couldn't help but exchange glances barely concealing their surprise that the two boys wanted to do their homework. "Just wanted to make a head start on it, you know," James had told them.

'I asked at the apothecaries if he knew what the boys were making and he said there was standard ingredients and some that were to make particularly hard potions.' Replied the man, reaching out to take the cup of coffee and taking a sip, 'Don't look at me like that, dear, he said that James appeared to be making an identification potion, like the ones we use in the office. Sirius was doing something more complex, a calming draught like Poppy has in the infirmary and much more challenging one – a kind of healing potion for magical exhaustion.'

The old witch looked up, as though she could see the boys through the ceiling. 'Well, they really shouldn't be potion making in their bedrooms. Go and tell them to use the basement.'

* * *

James groaned loudly as he pulled all the ingredients out of the bags. 'Did you have to get so many extra, Siri?'

The rooms other occupant, currently sprawled out on James bed, smirked. 'I, unlike you, predicted that the apothecary might figure out what it was that we are going to brew, so I added ingredients that together would make up three different potions, plus the usual school stuff we'll need.' He looked over at this messy haired friend and noted the still slightly confused look and added, 'We had to throw off someone who really knows potions, James, not just your dad.'

'I get it now.'

'What's been with you these past two days? You're really slow on the uptake.'

'Sorry mate, it's Evans.'

Sirius rolled his eyes. He should have known. 'What this time, lover-boy?'

'I was wondering if she'd consider dating me. – Hey!' exclaimed James, as Sirius burst out laughing.

'Sorry to burst your bubble mate, but she hates you.'

'She doesn't, she just hasn't admitted to herself that she admires me.' Replied the dark haired by looking quite hurt by his friends words. And the fact that he had not stopped laughing. 'Just shut up, okay? And list the ingredients we need.'

The two boys had intended to start brewing the potion that evening, but it looked as thought it might take a while to organize the ingredients they had, let alone prepare the first dozen or so. 'Okay, powdered unicorn horn, lacewings, dandelion petals, poppy seeds –' he paused as a knock came from the door and just as the boys schooled neutral expressions on their faces the door opened and in walked James's father looking mildly amused at the image that lay before him.

'Boys, your mother asked me to tell you use the basement for potion making, it isn't healthy doing it in a bedroom. Besides, there is all sorts of things you might need down there, gold knives in case silver reacts with the yew tree leaves, all sizes of cauldrons. They're from when your grandfather used to brew, not been used in a while of course, you know how useless your mother and I am at potion making.'

'Okay then, we will. But these potions are going to keep us up at odd times, they are specific to the hour… We'll need to sleep close by, dad.'

Mr Potter looked thoughtful as he regarded his son. 'Something quite complex I see? How about I do you two boys a bargain?'

James looked up at these words and noted the expression on his father's face. 'What kind of bargain, we're only trying to do our homework.' James fought hard to put the most innocent expression he could muster on his face, needless to say he failed miserably.

'You know as well as I do that you are brewing something other than school curriculum potions and I want your word that it's nothing… _Too _hazardous.' He eyed the boys, a slightly dangerous look in his eyes. He paused for a few seconds allowing both boys to nod their heads reassuringly, and waited for the bad end of the bargain. 'I am willing to let you both have your own space for a week to get these hard bits of the potions over and done with. Your mother and I could do with a bit of a break and she has been on about this little resort down south that sounds _charming_. The conditions are that you don't go looking for your wands, and that you allow Bobble to do all the cooking and cleaning that you need. The last thing I want is to come back home to is a bomb site.'

The boys didn't even look at each other as they agreed, both knowing that looking a gift horse in the mouth is a stupid thing to do indeed. The only down side was that they couldn't continue the quest for their wands, not that they were getting far anyway. 'Thanks, Mr. Potter. We promise not to destroy the house,' Sirius grinned cheekily before continuing 'and we haven't had any luck with our wands yet, so I think we can wait a week before continuing to look for them.'

Mr. Potter laughed and shook his head, knowing full well that the boys would never find the wands he had confiscated off them. They were intelligent boys, but their common sense was appalling, looking in the most obvious place would be beyond them. Wondering what he had let himself in for when they returned he left the boys to themselves.

'Can you believe that? We got the house to ourselves on the condition that we let Bobble to everything!' exclaimed James. 'I wonder what condition the basement is in, though, no one has used it in a long time.'

* * *

Having finished sorting through the potion ingredients the boys decided that they should check out the conditions of the basement and work out how they were going to make sure they would be awake for the brewing. As the bespectacled boy opened the heavy door they were met with a cloud of dust, and he groaned. 'This is going to take ages to be habitable, Siri.'

'We'll worry about that in a bit. Let's have a closer look.'

'Excuse me Sirs, but Bobble must make the room clear for Masters.' The small house elf looked up at James and bowed slightly before rushing into the dusty room. Intrigued the teens followed the elf and watched as she clicked her fingers and the layers of dust disappeared from the floor. She turned and faced the counter, a small frown appearing in her brow as she concentrated on removing the years worth of dirt and scum that had covered the granite surfaces.

Despite what the two teens thought cleaning the room did not take long and as the boys put the ingredients down on the floor Mrs Potter's footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. 'James, Sirius? Your father told me that you'll be needing to spend a lot of time down here so I thought I'd help make it at least…' she peered around the door and the words she intended got stuck. Clearing her throat she added, 'livable.' She smiled and continued. 'Well, go on, what do you need?'

'Pardon?' asked Sirius.

'You need chairs? Beds? Or were you planning on just sleeping on the floor?'

'Oh. Hadn't thought of that one, mum, thanks.'

Not long later the bespectacled teen sank into a comfy armchair and looked over at his friend as he walked out of the make-shift bedroom Mrs Potter had conjured for them.

The dark haired boy smiled and said 'I love your mum, Potter.'

On closer inspection of the basement it seemed this Mrs Potter, after shooing the boys out for half an hour had catered for almost every need. There was a small bedroom that had two single beds, but in most other ways resembled the boy's dorm room at Hogwarts, red furnishing to boot. The living area that she had created was cozy with two armchairs and a long sofa along one wall. Small tables near the armchair that James had commandeered held lamps and an old wizarding wireless. There was almost nothing else that they needed. A bathroom was just upstairs and to the left, and the very basement that they were in led up to the kitchen.

* * *

The next morning was rather uneventful as they watched James's parents leave for the week, Mrs Potter instructing them that they were not to have any wild parties and to remember to let Bobble do all the housework that they needed. Finally they were told under no condition were they allowed into the wine cellar and if they found out they had broken this rule they're would be hell to pay. MR Potter smirked at this and added in a whisper that he had left a small bottle of Firewhiskey downstairs for them, but he had charmed it to make sure they couldn't drink too much.

'See you in a week,' grinned the two boys waving the adults off from the door step.

'So, ready to get started, Potter?'

James laughed as he regarded his friend. 'Why the hell are you asking me? You're the one who's going to be brewing it!'

The dark haired boy threw a harsh look at James. 'Just because everyone knows Sirius Black is better than you at everything, does not mean to suppose that I'll be doing the brewing.'

Ten minutes later there was no doubt that he would be doing the hard work. James had (four times) nearly ruined the potion and there were only two ingredients in it – go figure. They decided then, to split the work load. While Sirius would be the one to stir the potion the correct number of times and add the ingredients in the exact way James would be the one to grind, chop, stew and measure all the ingredients out for Sirius. Needless to say they were quite glad that Peter wasn't there to join them, the whole house would have been destroyed already by his 'enthusiasm to help'.

'Hey, have you heard from Peter at all mate?' asked Sirius.

'Nope. Do you think we should owl him?'

'Suppose, just to see what he's up to. Perhaps after this week we could get his over for a couple of days?'

The bespectacled boy nodded his agreement. 'We'll do it tomorrow. I need something to eat right now.' And with that he bellowed for the family house elf and asked for lunch to be prepared. They had only gotten half way through their mountain of sandwiches when there was a shrill whistle from the other side of the room. Apparently it was time for another ingredient to be added to the concoction in the small pewter cauldron. Sirius jumped up and hurried over to the parchment they had written the instructions on and sighed. _Stir with the right hand for 7 minutes, clockwise with an anticlockwise stir every 15__th__ turn. Add dung beetle eyes and repeat. _'Hate you, Potter.' He muttered under this breath as he began, wishing he could have finished his sandwich, it really was quite lovely.

The next few days were fairly uneventful. James prepared the ingredients at the same time Sirius actually worked on the potion after the first argument that had broken out.

'_For Merlin's sake, James! I'm tired and I'm still doing this. You did everything you needed to in the morning and have done nothing all day but lie there reading _'Quidditch Through the Ages'_. Again.'_

'_So what? I've done my bit as we bargained.'_

'_You're such an ass. You could at least do it while I'm doing something, I'm doing all the hard bloody work, getting up at least every hour this past day and you've sat on your fat arse.'_

'_Hey!' exclaimed the teen. 'My arse is not fat, but it stops you wining I'll take my time and do it while you're working. Better?'_

Their cooking and cleaning was done for them, they didn't really have time to go and look for their wands but Sirius still managed to find time (sometime during the day) to keep up his routine of going for a run, and was busy looking in the mirror when James bounded in and stopped short. 'Hell Siri, hope you don't mind me saying but you're looking a little less….'

'Round? Peter-like?' supplied the boy.

'Well yeah!'

The teen grinned and said 'Cheers.'

* * *

On the last day of the week without the adults saw the return of James's owl with Peter's letter.

Hi guys,

I'm fine, mum's keeping me really busy this summer, so I don't think I'll be able to make it this summer. She's making me help with those stupid witch product things she sells on the Floo. It's not that bad I guess, though, I'm getting paid for it and all I'm doing is making up bundles of products. In fact, James, I might have found something to tame your hair.

Anyways, cheers for the invite. Talk to you soon.

Peter.

'Huh,' said James.

'Tell me about it. Looks like it's just us two for the summer!' replied Sirius, sounding rather indifferent.

'What?... Oh yeah. I was thinking about that product. Do you think Evans would like me more if my hair was tidier?'

Two seconds later he was cuffed round the back of the head.

* * *

**Author's note:** I'm sorry for such a long delay in the story. I just lost my muse to be honest, and got a new laptop because my other one wasn't too healthy. Either way, with little to do over the summer I shall try to update regularly. She says. Thanks to everyone who decided to read this despite me taking what… 6 months to update? Please review it really does make my day. And I like to hear what you think. Still like to take ideas for pranks when term starts again. So drop me a line x P.S, I think I could do with a beta for this story, and someone to poke me with a really sharp stick to get me moving when I haven't done anything in a while. Feel free to volunteer!


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